


Vanilla

by disco_agidyne



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Fluff, Ice Cream, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-01 23:03:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15783924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disco_agidyne/pseuds/disco_agidyne
Summary: Yosuke versus The Mountain! Can he beat the Narukami Challenge?!AKA Yosuke's various attempts to impress his partner by eating ice cream.





	Vanilla

“Why does it have to be like a bajillion degrees today?” Yosuke flopped over the table, then mumbled a quiet “ _ow_ ” after his nose hit the hard plastic.

Yu began to reach over, his mouth open with ready concern, when Yosuke dragged himself back up into a slouch.

"And _of course_ today would have to be the day the AC goes on the fritz.”

Yu slowly pulled his hand back and latched it back on his drink on the table in front of him while Yosuke continued on about the hassles of whiny, sweaty customers that seemed to be expecting a high schooler of all people to fix the air conditioning. Just as Yu finally chanced a sip, Yosuke sighed exaggeratedly and drooped over the table again, resting his head in his arms.

“Thank God that's over.” Yosuke buried his face into his arms and let out a muffled groan. “I'm melting, Partner. _Melting_.”

The sweat dripping down Yosuke's neck and soaking the V of his V-neck shirt suggested he was telling the truth. Not that Yu needed proof or anything, what with the way his own shirt was stained at the pits and his hair was wet where it met his neck.

Yu passed a glance to the ice cream stand at the opposite end of the food court as he finished his drink. “Say, Yosuke?”

Yosuke didn't move an inch. “Yeah, Partner?”

“You want some ice cream?”

Yosuke sighed into his arms.  “I've gotta pass. Forgot my wallet at home today.”

“It's on me.” Yu shook his cup, rattling the small bits of ice at the bottom.

Yosuke perked up. “You sure?”

Yu set down his cup and got up from the table. He stretched his arms behind his head, then pressed on his back. “Yeah. I still owe you for those steak skewers.”

“What? From April?” Yosuke sat up straight and frowned. “Dude, you don't owe me for those.”

Yu shrugged. “You don't owe me for this either then.”

Yosuke raised his eyebrows, then eased into a smile. “Well, if I can't talk you out of it.”

Yu smiled back. “What are you in the mood for?”

“Anything's good. As long as it's cold.”

“Alright.”

As Yu walked off, Yosuke rested his head in his arms on the table again. He let the sun's heat lull him to the edge of sleep only to be jolted back awake by a pair of icy fingers on the back of his neck. “ _W-what the hell?_ ”

When Yosuke had opened his eyes, the largest sundae on the menu was set before him, drizzled with a decadent pattern of three different sauces and surrounded by a wall of fruit that was slowly becoming a moat in the summer heat.

Yu was hiding a smile behind his ice cream cone.

“Are you kidding me?” Yosuke looked up at Yu only to see him shaking with pent up amusement as he held out a spoon. Yosuke narrowed his eyes, then swiped the spoon. “Gimme that.”

Yu took a seat next to Yosuke, quietly giggling into his hand.

“You didn't hide anything weird in it, did you?” Yosuke took a scoop out of it and moved it aside, eyeing it suspiciously. Yu shook his head. His own cone was starting to drip down his hand. “Dude, you better eat that.”

Yu cleared his throat and recomposed himself. “Sorry.” He licked away the mess running down his hand.

Yosuke laughed at the sight, then nudged Yu with his elbow. “Thanks, Partner.”

Yu shook his head. “No problem.”

“I think Yukiko's starting to rub off on you.”

Yu lowered his cone and looked over, his eyes searching Yosuke's face.

Yosuke got through four spoonfuls of ice cream before he noticed. “Dude, why are you looking at me like that?”

Yosuke took a fifth, piled high with berries and chocolate, and put it in his mouth. Then, as dead serious as could be, Yu asked, “Are you up to the Narukami Challenge?”

Yosuke spat a chunk of strawberry clear across the table. “ _What?!_ ”

“You must conquer The Mountain.”

Yosuke squinted at Yu as his blush faded. “ _The Mountain?_ ”

Yu nodded toward the sundae still towering a good ten centimeters over the bowl even in the sweltering heat.

Yosuke raised an eyebrow. “You're setting the bar kinda low, don't you think, Partner?”

Yu blinked, and Yosuke could've sworn his partner's face turned a notch redder. “You think so?”

“Yeah, I mean… A catch like you for one bowl of ice cream?” Yosuke winked.

Yu, pink with either sunburn or something else, returned his attention to his own ice cream.

“Here, I'll even show you,” Yosuke continued, picking up his spoon again and digging it into one of the scoops.

Twenty or so bites in, Yosuke was crumpled over the table again, wallowing in his own suffering as he clutched his head. The sundae, though half its original size, still stood victorious.

“Sure showed me,” Yu said, then went back to crunching on his empty cone.

“Wasn't… _ow_ , wasn't counting… on the brain freeze.”

Yu rested his hand on Yosuke's shoulder. A few seconds passed, and then he gave it a squeeze. “You want some help?”

“Maybe.” Yosuke lifted his head and seethed. “...Yes. _Please._ ”

As soon as he finished the last of his cone, Yu slid the bowl over and pulled the spoon out of Yosuke's hand. He spooned out a melty chunk of ice cream from the remains and stared at it. He passed Yosuke a glance, then put it in his mouth.

“I guess this means I failed the challenge, huh?” Yosuke leaned on the table, resting his chin in his hand.

Yu, still sucking on the spoon, gave Yosuke a small pat on the back.

“But, you know, Partner, I still think that's too low. A guy like you needs to have standards.”

Yu pulled the spoon from his mouth. He turned the spoon in his hand, watching his upside-down reflection. “A guy like me, huh?”

“I just wasn't prepared today. Next time it'll be a piece of cake for sure.”

Yu glanced over again. “Pretty sure it'll still be ice cream.”

Yosuke gave him a gentle shove and a laugh.

* * *

“Partner.”

“Hm?”

Yosuke's eyes crawled over the massive sundae warily. “It didn't get bigger, did it?”

Yu shook his head. “I don't think so.” He looked over the sundae, then over Yosuke, who was already slumped over with a frown. “Having doubts?”

Yosuke straightened up and held his spoon at attention. “What? Of course not, man. I've got this for sure this time.” He flashed Yu a grin. “What about you? Not ordering anything?”

“You're that confident, huh?” Yu took a seat next to Yosuke, his back to the table.

Yosuke fell back, feigning offense, then brought his hand to his chest. “Have you no confidence in your partner, Partner?” he asked, voice thick with melodrama.

Yu’s eyebrows perked up, and he leaned back and crossed his arms. “I'd like to see you do it.”

Yosuke's eyes narrowed. “But?”

Yu shrugged.

Yosuke's eyes narrowed further. “You don't think I can do it, do you?”

Yu pointed to the spoon and then to the sundae. “Prove me wrong, Partner.”

Yosuke's face settled into a rosy frown for but a moment, then he stabbed his spoon into the ice cream.

Within ten minutes he was doubled over, clutching his forehead with one hand and his stomach with the other, moaning in agony as Yu slid the bowl over and continued from where Yosuke had left off.

“You… were right,” Yosuke groaned into the table.

Yu, spoon in his mouth, smiled to himself as he rubbed Yosuke's back.

* * *

“Third time's a charm, right, Partner?” Yosuke winked at Yu, who smiled back.

“Good luck, Partner,” Yu said. Yosuke beamed at him in response. Yu had to look away just to avoid being blinded by Yosuke's bright grin. Yu smiled down at his shoes, hands stuck stiffly in his pockets as he bounced on his heels.

“You're really looking forward to this, huh?” Yosuke nudged him, and Yu lifted his eyes back to his friend in spite of the sunshine radiating from Yosuke's face.

“Something like that.”

Yosuke's coworker set the extravagant sundae on the counter between them. Yosuke took it and started toward the tables with Yu just a step behind him. He turned back to face Yu, saying, “So do you have any more confidence in me this ti--”

In an instant, Yosuke fell face first onto the Junes rooftop, ass up, plastic chair toppled over beside him, a pool of chocolate and vanilla slowly seeping out from beneath his body like a murder scene.

Similarly, his voice also came from beneath him. “Hey, Partner?”

Yu had come to a halt, lips pursed under disappointed eyes. He sucked in a breath. “Yeah?”

“Let's never talk about this again.”

Yu knelt down next to Yosuke and rubbed his back. “Sure, Yosuke.”

* * *

“Almost there…”

With a look of silent alarm, Yu watched Yosuke, hunched over before one fifth of a sundae as he clutched his head, push one more spoonful of ice cream past his quivering lips.

Yu gripped Yosuke's shoulder. “You don't have to force yourself.”

Yosuke flashed him a bright (though unmistakably shaky) grin and winked. “I've got this, Bro. N-no worries!”

Yu's worried frown sunk deeper.

“C'mon, Partner. Don't look at me like that.”

And deeper.

“Dude!”

“...Are you sure you're okay?”

“I told you, I'm fine! I'm well on my way to decimating this tower.” Yosuke winked again.

Yu crossed his arms. He was too distracted by Yosuke's pallor to comment on his word choice. Yu grunted, unconvinced.

Yosuke pouted. “I'll show you I can do this.” He took another scoop, but as he brought it to his mouth, his confidence visibly waned. Yu could've sworn he heard a soft whimper.

Yu pulled out his phone and typed out a short text.

Yosuke perked up. “What's up?”

“Chie had a question about the summer homework.”

“What, are you done already?” Yosuke groaned. “I still need to start m--”

“There you are, Senpai!” Rise came jogging up to them. “Yosuke, we need your help!”

“Wh-- _My_ help? Really?”

“You need to come right away! It's the swimwear display!”

Yosuke frowned deeply. “Rise, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not on the clock right now.”

“I know, I know. But I couldn't find anyone else, and it's a total disaster down there.” Rise turned her idol pout up to eleven. Yosuke's face softened up, but he was still passing glances between Yu and the sundae.

Yosuke shuffled his hair. “I know the part-timers can be pretty unreliable, but is it really that bad?”

Yu made eye contact with Rise. She pursed her lips, then latched onto Yosuke's arm.

“What the?! What're you--”

“ _Seeeeenpaaaai_ , Teddie's been rolling around in it and scaring customers away!”

“That damn bear…!” Yosuke stumbled to his feet, holding his aching head. “Sorry, Partner. I'll be back as soon as I can.”

“No problem, Yosuke,” Yu said. Yosuke and Rise headed toward the elevator. As they crossed the food court, Rise turned back to pass Yu a wink and a smile. Yu gave her a relieved nod in response, then turned back to the sundae.

He pressed his hands together and bowed. “I'm sorry, Teddie.”

* * *

“Empty stomach, check. Sundae, check. Spoon, check.”

“Successful passage to table?”

Yosuke gave Yu a smirk and a look. “Check, you smartass.”

Yu shrugged and smiled.

“This time it's in the bag for sure,” Yosuke said with a grin as he picked up his spoon and set to work.

Yu matched his grin, but it quickly dropped off his face as his eyes locked onto a large wasp hovering over the back of the sundae. “Uh, Yosuke?”

Yosuke pulled the spoon from his mouth. “What is it, Partner?”

Eyes wider than usual, Yu pointed to the wasp.

Yosuke raised an eyebrow and stood up to look over The Mountain. “Dude, whatever it is, it can't be--” As soon as he saw it, he went pale and made the most unmanly squeal as he whipped his spoon at it. The broad side of the spoon made contact with a disgusting crunch, and the wasp landed defeated on the table next to the spoon, wings unnaturally askew.

Yosuke let out a shaky laugh. “Th-that wasn't so bad.” He laughed again, forced. “I'll just get another spoon. No big deal.”

Yu pursed his lips and grunted, gaze locked on the canopy over the table next to them.

Yosuke put one hand on his hip and the other on Yu’s shoulder. “Oh, c'mon. We can't give up _that_ easi...” He followed Yu's eyes up to the buzzing nest lodged in the skeleton of the canopy. “... _oh, crap_.”

Without another word, the two of them booked it inside.

* * *

The entire IT was gathered at the food court. Their summer homework was strewn about and pushed aside to make room for snacks and drinks, and into vine-like pattern that branched out over their table.

Yosuke returned to the table with yet another massive sundae. Yu was trailing behind him, downcast eyes peering into his wallet.

“You know, Partner, you don't have to keep paying for these.” Yosuke set his ice cream on the table.

Yu clapped his wallet shut and slid it back into his pocket. “I don't mind.”

Yosuke raised an eyebrow. “Dude, are you s--”

A loud gasp came from behind them, and they turned around to see Teddie rushing toward them.

Teddie skidded to a halt at the edge of Yu's personal space bubble, then leaned deeply into it. “Sensei!” He exclaimed, as though he'd stumbled upon a scandal. “You've been buying Yosuke _ice cream?_ ”

“What the-- Did he hear that from all the way across the food court?” asked Chie.

Kanji crossed his arms. “Bear's got ears.”

Teddie straightened up with a grin. “We bears have exceptional hearing.”

“Only when you feel like it,” Yosuke turned his back to his sundae and crossed his arms. “And what do you mean ' _we_ ’? Don't tell me there's more of you out there.”

“Don't be absurd, Yosuke.” Teddie scoffed. “Of course there's only one Teddie!”

Rise set down her cup. “But could you imagine? A whole family of Teddies?”

“No thanks,” Yukiko said without hesitation.

Kanji brought a hand to his chin. “A whole family of Teddies, huh…”

Yosuke shook his head. “Gonna have to agree with Yukiko on this one. It's hard enough having to share a room with just one.”

There was a flicker in Yu's eye. “They'd have to stay in the den.”

Before he knew it, an entire table’s worth of frowns were aimed at his face.

“I can't believe he actually said it,” said Chie.

“I can,” said Yukiko.

Rise let out a disappointed sigh. “So uncool…”

Yu shrugged. “I tried.”

Yosuke clasped Yu’s shoulder and gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Partner.” He looked down, to see an empty space on the table, then over, to see Teddie toss the last spoonful of ice cream in the air and catch it in his mouth.

“Thanks for the sundae, Sensei!”

A long five seconds passed as a hard realization sunk in.

Yosuke clenched his fist as his side, took a breath, then relaxed and muttered, “Hey, Partner?”

Yu sulked, eyelids and brows parallel with the fringe of his bangs. “Yeah?”

“Did Teddie just beat the Narukami Challenge?”

Yu let out a small sigh and averted his eyes.

Teddie's ears twitched, and the bear perked up. “Narukami Challenge? Does this mean I can score with--”

“Let's strike this one from the record too,” Yu said.

“Roger that.” Yosuke nodded.

“ _What?!_ ” Teddie squawked. “I did all that for _nothing?!_ ”

Yosuke crossed his arms. “You did that for free ice cream and you know it.”

“Wait…” Chie tilted her head. “But if Yu bought that for Yosuke, doesn't that mean--”

“ _Oh, Yosuke, you stud!_ ” Teddie gasped. “Were you trying to--”

“ _Alright!_ ” Yosuke blurted out louder than he meant to, his voice cracking halfway. He took Teddie by the underarms and dragged him away from the table. “Let's get you back to work so you can pay Yu for that sundae.”

The rest of the team turned to Yu, who cleared his throat and took a seat at the table.

Rise leaned toward him with a playful grin. “Narukami Challenge, huh?”

Yu erected his math textbook as a wall and hid his burning red face behind it.

* * *

Yu was sitting next to Yosuke, hunched over the table with head resting on his arm and his phone out in front of him.

“You aren't thinking up another fake emergency to pull me away again, are you?”

Yu glanced up at Yosuke, then flipped his phone shut and lifted his head with a sigh. “Do you need one?”

“Do I look like I need one?”

Yu gave Yosuke a once over, and to Yosuke's credit, he didn't. The sundae was three-fourths gone, and Yosuke was still going strong with a grin.

Yu shrugged, and Yosuke shoved him.

“Whatever, man,” Yosuke laughed.

Yu laughed too, weakly, then flipped his phone back open and sunk back into staring at it.

Yosuke nudged him. “Something wrong?”

Yu shook his head, but Yosuke leaned over anyway.

_‘Good luck!’_

“They know I'm the one doing the challenge, right?”

Yu gave a tiny jump when he realized Yosuke was practically on his shoulder, then sighed. He clapped his phone shut again. “Yosuke, about that…”

“I told you, man. I got this.” Yosuke winked.

Yu’s face flushed, and Yosuke returned to what was left of his sundae, leaving his partner to simmer like that.

“Well, uh…” Yu lifted his phone and gave it a wag. “Good luck.”

“Looks like I won't be needing it, Partner.” Yosuke tossed his spoon back into the empty bowl, beaming brightly. “So about my prize…”

Yu laughed. “Who said anything about a prize?”

Yosuke’s jaw dropped as the red in his cheeks climbed up to his ears. “Dude, are you serious?”

The smirk fell from Yu's rosy face. He cleared his throat. “Unless…” He swallowed, then scooted closer, setting his hand on the bench and letting his hand brush against Yosuke's. “...you really want one.”

Yosuke interlaced his fingers with Yu's and curled them tight. “Considering it took like twenty tries…” His eyes flitted down to Yu's lips. “Y-yeah, it'd be nice.”

“Sixteen.”

“Dude, c'mon…”

“I can…” Their foreheads met, and Yu paused, breathless. “...probably arrange something.”

Yu pressed his lips to Yosuke's gently, then withdrew only to have Yosuke's cold hand on his neck, pulling him back in for another. Yu eased into the kiss, placing a hand on Yosuke's waist.

Yu's phone lit up like a firecracker, bouncing violently on the table.

When they parted, Yosuke gave the phone sidelong glance. “They're watching us, aren't they?”

Yu turned away with a bashful smile. “Probably.”

Yosuke paused, then squinted at his partner. “You had this planned from the start, didn't you?”

“Not this part,” Yu admitted with a small pop of his brow.

Yosuke made a face, but was quick to crack back into a grin. “What? Was your plan to make me gain ten pounds?” He gave the hand on his waist a pat. “Well, mission accomplished.”

“You caught me, Yosuke.”

Yosuke leaned in again, a certain sparkle in his eye. “No, really. What was your grand master plan?”

Yu hesitated, glancing around until his eyes settled on their interlocked hands.

“C'mon, tell me.”

“I wanted to lick your spoons.”

“ _Dude!_ ” Yosuke gave him a playful shove. “You little perv,” he said with a laugh.

“I don't know.” Yu shrugged with a coy smile. “I thought it was pretty vanilla.”

Yosuke paused, then cringed slightly as it dawned on him. “Dude, seriously?”

“I'll stop for another kiss.”

Yosuke stood up from the table. “Deal.” He took Yu by the hand, and pulled him up too. “But no more shows for the public.”

“Deal,” Yu echoed back with a grin, swiping his phone from the table and sliding it into his pocket. Yosuke gave Yu's wrist a tug, and the two of them slipped away together, hand in hand.


End file.
